Retreats House About Contact

behind Kelani

We didn't build a retreat. We opened our home.

Madiha, Sri Lanka. Since 2024.

The Kelani family and team together on the terrace in Madiha
the whole gang
The two Kelani founders, arm in arm against a sunlit wall
Backyard balloon games on the lawn at Kelani
The Kelani crew hanging out by the Galle lighthouse
The whole Kelani team and family together under the arch
Kelani team goofing around at a garden party
Friends laughing together at a beach bar after dark in Madiha

It started with two friends. Kevin and Daniel met in early 2024 at Beachbums, a co-living spot just down the road. They came for a season, found a whole community, and made the kind of friends you don't leave behind.

They fell for Madiha — the place, the people — and came back together. They rented two rooms at Bandula and Manjula's homestay. They got on so well that Bandula and Manjula offered them the whole house. They lived in it themselves for a while, made it cosy, settled in — and slowly, the idea of Kelani grew and took shape.

Today, Kelani is a retreat. But the house is still Bandula and Manjula's. They live upstairs, the tea is always on, and the voices at brunch are real, not scripted.

We didn't build Kelani to be the next yoga retreat. We built it because we wanted to live this way ourselves. Turns out, plenty of people want a week of that, too.

Strangers on Sunday. Family by Friday.

your week with

Who you'll meet at Kelani.

Nevana, retreat manager and yoga teacher at Kelani

Nevana

Retreat Manager — and most weeks, your yoga teacher too.
Always in motion — exploring new places, meeting people, collecting stories along the way. She's a fitness trainer and yoga teacher, runs a retreat house on Mallorca over the European summer, and most weeks she's the one leading you through yoga here.
Evi, co-host at Kelani retreat

Evi

Co-host. Probably already remembers your coffee order.
Our intern, back for a second season — she already supported us last year with her easy, funny, full-of-life way. She loves to surf and is always up for an adventure.
Bandula and Manjula, the family who own the Kelani house in Madiha

Bandula & Manjula

The family. Live upstairs. Tea ready before you ask.
Bandula grew up on this very plot in Madiha over fifty years ago — his family has lived here for generations. He and Manjula live upstairs, help with everything from translating to connecting us with the village, and welcome everyone with open arms. Manjula will save you the best mango.
Kevin, co-founder of Kelani retreat

Kevin

Co-founder. Came to slow down and never quite left.
Kevin works hand in hand with the locals to keep everything real and rooted in the island's culture. A workaholic with a sharp business sense, he loves to cook, to surf, and has a rare gift for bringing people together and making everyone feel welcome.
Daniel, co-founder and movement coach at Kelani retreat

Daniel

Co-founder. Turned a family home into a week you can book.
Daniel brings years of leading Flow Retreats on Fuerteventura. Passionate about movement and nutrition, he swims, surfs, climbs and cycles — and his open, cheerful way makes training feel like play while gently nudging you out of your comfort zone. He'll teach the odd movement class during the week and gives regular classes at the boutique hotel Meraki next door.
Nirosha, housekeeper at Kelani retreat, on the terrace

Nirosha

Our housekeeper. Quietly keeps everything running.
Our housekeeper — she supports with all kinds of things around the house and keeps the place feeling cared for. She doesn't speak a word of English, but that's no problem at all: with hands, feet and good spirits, anything can be solved.
Our neighbour, a local carpenter in Madiha, weaving a rattan chair seat by hand Handmade wooden chair frames built for Kelani in the carpenter's workshop Local carpenter measuring a teak cabinet made for the Kelani retreat house Local craftsmen laying a natural stone path in the Kelani garden in Madiha

this matters

What “real” means to us.

Our surf instructors are from Madiha. Our cooks are Sri Lankan. We don't just share the house with a traditional Sri Lankan family — Bandula and Manjula — our programme also supports countless communities and institutions (the Sambol Foundation, a tea plantation, surf school, safari) and strengthens the local economy through our investments (pool, shala, renovations and more). We're especially proud of our neighbour, a carpenter from Madiha who handcrafted all of our furniture.

Real means local. People from here, doing what they actually do.
our values

Four values. Non-negotiable.

01

Like home

Family, not staff. The people you spend the week with actually live here. You'll feel it within 24 hours.

02

Like Sri Lanka

Real, not Insta-staged. Geckos on the wall, no goji bowls. We show you the Sri Lanka we live in.

03

Permission to do nothing

Yoga, surf, sound journey, curry, naps — all possible, none required. Self-optimization stays at the airport.

04

Just be

Space for any mood. The quiet musician, the loud nurse. Nobody has to try to be someone here.

let's be clear

Some things we're not.

Not a luxury resort.

There are geckos on the wall. The power goes out sometimes. The WiFi has opinions. We call that tropical charm.

Not a wellness factory.

No infrared sauna, no IV drips, no biohacking workshop. Just yoga, food, ocean, sleep.

Not Goa, not Bali.

There's no beach club with a DJ in Madiha. There's the family's curry. We're fine with the trade.

Not therapists.

We listen well, but for the real work, there are professionals. Tea is always available, though.

that's us

Want to come?

The week starts on Sunday. See the dates.

See the weeks→
Just be. Just sea. Book →